Frequently Asked Questions

Generally the materials that you need to build a solar panel will include the following: A battery, some plywood painted with UV paint, wire, diode, Plexiglas, Jones plug, screws, super glue, silicon sealant and a solar cell and a guiding manual to get the job done! Also something to keep in mind for solar cells specifically is that trying to build your own solar cells will most likely cost more than it is worth, so its better to skip this step and buy legitimate solar cells if you are going to build your own solar panels.

How much electricity do solar panels produce in a year?

The answer to how much electricity solar panels will produce in a year is hard to answer because it depends on a number of different factors like weather, how clean the solar panels are, distance from the equator, what time during the day, shading and maximal output. But a very rough estimate for a 100 watt rooftop solar panel should produce about 240,000 watts a year.

How many solar panels do I need to run my house?

The amount of solar panels needed to run a solar system in your house can be estimated by how much you approximately pay for your monthly electricity bill. There are many solar panel calculators available online by which you can determine the approximate number of solar panels you will need for your home simply entering in the average amount you pay for your monthly electricity bill.

What percent of people use solar panel powered technology?

It is difficult to come up with the number of people that are using solar powered technology because generally the amount of electricity produced is what is measured and not how many solar panel systems are installed in homes.

Do solar panels work with artificial light?

Yes, solar panels will work under artificial light but not as efficiently. One concept that is worth considering regarding this matter between solar panels and artificial light is a fundamental law of physics. Whenever energy is changed from one form to another, what results is a net loss. It is highly recommended that you just stick with sunlight to power your solar panels.

How do I protect my solar panel?

In order to protect your solar panel from damage you must occasionally clean the panel and keep it free of debris. If you are living in a colder climate make sure that you keep heavy snow off of your solar panel as much as possible.

What is a Marine Solar Panel?

A Marine Solar Panel is a solar panel that is made with an anti-corrosive material. This means it will do well in a highly corrosive atmosphere, such as salt water. This makes the Marine Solar Panel perfect for a boat or RV.

What is the differences between a Mono-crystalline and Polycrystalline solar panel?

The difference between mono-crystalline and polycrystalline solar panels is that one is produced from a single crystal of silicon and the other is produced from a piece of silicon consisting of many crystals.

How do solar thermal power plants work?

Solar thermal power plants work very similarly to nuclear and coal power plants. Except solar thermal power plants use a variety of techniques to maximize the concentration of the sun’s energy as a heat source. For example, one technique is employing the use of movable mirrors to focus the sun’s rays on a tower which collects the light rays. This heat is then used to boil water which drives a steam turbine that will generate electricity.

Why does my solar panel not seem to work even though only one small part of it is covered up/in the shade?

A solar panel is actually just a casing that holds multiple small solar cells. These are the blue or dark-blue squares inside the solar panel that are actually absorbing the light and producing the energy. Each individual cell has its own voltage and amperage that are normally both very small. By combining these small cells together, the voltage and amperage can be combined into the larger output which is what the entire solar panel is rated for. Connecting cells in series combines the voltage of each string of cells into one larger output voltage, and combining cell strings in parallel combines the amperage of each string. Cells combined in series are often visible by the metal strip running in a straight line down a few of these squares. When cells are combined in series, the voltage adds up but the amperage does not. Instead, the string takes the lowest amperage from the set. This is why covering up one small corner of a solar panel can cover one cell in series and drop the amperage of that particular cell to 0, which makes the entire string take that low 0 amperage value. This may drop the power that the panel produces below the operating level of the appliance which is why it turns off from a small bit of shade on the panel. To avoid this, make sure your solar panels are always placed in a bright, sunny area that is free of obstruction and shading from trees or any taller objects as the sun moves across the sky.

Is shade a problem for solar panel?

Yes, shade can be a problem because there are a number of individual solar cells within a solar panel that need to be expose fully to sunlight. This is mainly because of the way the wiring of the solar panels are designed. So for example if there were ten individual solar cells and due to shading, one of the cells did not receive sunlight exposure, this will affect the power output of the nine other individual cells, even if the rest may be fully exposed to sunlight. That is why the angle of the solar panels are crucial because solar panels work optimally when each individual cell is exposed fully to sunlight.

Which direction should I place my solar panel?

Direction and angles are the one of the most important factors in setting up a system. These issues can affect the performance and the efficiency of the whole system. Ususally we suggest people to place the panels facing south, that is the general direction. But tons of factors can vary the exact directions and angles, including latitude and climate in your location. Consult a solar specialist would be a good choice for you if you need help.

Can the cost of producing solar panels be covered from the benefits they will bring?

It was inefficient to produce solar panels when PV technology was young years ago, producing solar panels cost around $40,000 per Watt. Modern date solar technology enables highly efficient solar panels. Impartial studies have done to show that the payback time for average solar systems to save enough to offset their production cost only takes three to four years. Putting into consideration that most solar panels have a life span longer than 25 years, it is very wrong to call that wasteful.

What is the difference between monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin film solar panels?

Monocrystalline solar panels are panels cut from single slabs of silicon. They are identifiable by their consistent color throughout the panel and are often a dark blue to almost black color. Historically, monocrystalline panels have had the highest efficiency (around 15-17%) because being cut from a single slab of silicon allows a greater level of purity in the silicon, but have also been more expensive for the same reason.

Polycrystalline panels are those created from many different pieces of silicon crystal. Because these panels can be essentially filled in they have historically been cheaper and also had a slightly lower efficiency level (12-14%). These are clearly distinguished between monocrystalline panels by their patches of color, and are also usually lighter blue in color compared to monocrystalline panels.

Thin film panels are panels are purposely made to be thin and flexible for a greater variety of applications. Small layers of semi-conductive material are coated over a more durable material such as metal or plastic and then covered by a transparent weatherproofed layer. Because thin film panels are made of much thinner layers of silicon their efficiency (6-12%) is typically lower than the rigid monocrystalline or polycrystalline panels as the thin layer cannot absorb as much of the light.

An additional type of extremely high-efficiency solar panel (up to 40%), called a multi-junction panel, is also available although typically not used in residential applications. Multi-junction panels work by incorporating different kinds of materials in the panel to capture multiple wavelengths of light that a regular monocrystalline or polycrystalline cell cannot. This effectively breaks up the light collecting process into multiple smaller parts, wasting less of the incoming light in the process. These cells are very expensive and normally only used for special applications.

What kind of maintenance is involved with solar panels?

Maintaining solar panels is very simple since there is no mobile parts. A few washes a year using a hose to remove dust and debris is all that is needed to keep your panels operating efficiently for decades . It is not recommended to spray cold water on the surface during a hot day because it can crack the cells. Automated cleaners can also be programmed to periodically clean the panels.

Will my solar panels work if there is a power outage?

With a on-grid system Iconnected to the utility company) power will be lost, however you can switch to a backup generator for electricity. If it is an off-grid system with a battery bank to store excess created energy, then you won’t experience the blackout as long as the electricity supply is not depleted.

Does solar energy work all the time? What about at night and cloudy days?

The sun is needed for solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity. During times when sunlight is not available, the solar panel goes into sleep mode or standby mode. There are two solutions if electricity is needed when sunlight is absent. Solution one is switching to a utility grid that can be simultaneously used along with solar power. Solution two is to install a battery that stores the electricity that was converted thoughout the day by the solar panels for later use when sunlight is not present.

What size solar system do I need?

You can view estimated system sizes depending on your home or business’s typical monthly electricity usage (kwh). For example, the typical US residential home uses about 800 kWh/month, which translates to about a 5.5 kW system (Assuming average daily sunlight of 4.5 hours and 100% of electricity needs covered from your solar system).

What is the difference between On-grid and off-grid solar power?

On-grid means your solar system is tied to your local utility company’s system. This is what most residential homes will use because you are covered if your solar system under or over-produces in regard to your varying energy needs. All this means for you is that your utility system acts as your battery space. If you are producing more energy with your solar panels or system than you are using, the excess energy is sent to your grid’s power company, allowing you to build credit that you can cash out with at the end of the year, in a process called net metering. Being grid-tied is beneficial because you don’t have to buy an expensive battery back-up system to store any excess energy.
Being off-grid means you are not connected in any way to your grid’s power system or utility company. This is appealing because you are 100% self-sustaining your energy use. However, there are disadvantages because off-grid systems require you to purchase back-up battery which can be expensive, bulky, and not very environmentally friendly which defeats the purpose of going solar (save money and live greener).

How will my solar power work with my grid-connected utility company? What is net metering?

When the sun’s DC power is converted to AC output, a meter records the kWh of solar energy that your panels have produced. When you are using the exact amount of power that your solar system has produced, the meter stays still. If you are producing less than you are using, then you will draw electricity to use from your utility you are are producing more than you are using, the excess power will spin backwards and collect credit for you with your utility company. For example, on a sunny summer day you can build up a “storage” of energy credits with your utility, that you can redeem in the winter month’s when you won’t have as much sunlight but will be blasting the heater. Or, if you still don’t use it all up in other parts of the year, most states offer to pay you anywhere from $.15/kWh to $.53/kWh for your excess energy that you produced, because they can use it to provide energy for their other customers. This process is called net metering.

Will solar work for my home or business?

Contrary to common belief, solar power can work practically anywhere. Even if you live in a cloudy climate, there is usually enough sunlight to supply your electricity needs. Germany receives less sunlight hours than places like Seattle and Alaska, but still provides half of it’s country/s energy from solar. The second factor considered is the amount of available roof space on your building. However, it is surprising how much electricity can be generated from a small amount of surface area because our solar panels are consistently improving in efficiency . Solar systems work in most cases.

How do solar panels work?

Solar panels collect the sun’s energy in the form of photons and converts them to DC voltage, which becomes usable electricity. The DC voltage is converted to AC power through the work of an inverter, which is usually mounted next to your electric panel. Through a breaker in your electric panel, this AC power is connected to the electrical loads your home receives and uses.

What is the life span of solar panels?

Under the energy crisis nowadays, solar energy become one of the most sustainable energy in the world. To convert the sunshine into real energy and electricity, we need to use some tools – That is solar panels. The photovoltaic panel is one of the most common used solar panel in the world. With the development of the technology, a photovoltaic (PV) solar panel usually have a life expectancy of 20-40 years.
“20-40 years? Is it possible?” Some people would ask similar questions, but the fact is, if we put enough care and maintenance on them, photovoltaic solar panels can easily has a 40 years life expectancy. Although the performance and efficient would decline when the solar panels get older, but it is not even a noticeable degeneration.
Some photovoltaic solar panels can still able to produce more than 75% – 85% of original power after 40 years if it have been take care properly.
So next time, whenever someone said solar panel is not durable, you could tell him/her the truth and let more people know about the sustainability of solar energy.

Yes. Silicon Solar carries a number of 12v rated solar panels ranging from 7 watts to 90 watts. 12v panels with a higher wattage output will charge the battery more quickly than lower wattage output panels, but all will charge most types of 12v batteries. NOTE: Safely charging 12v batteries via solar panel very likely requires the use of a charge controller.

2) What type of 12 volt panels are best for me?

Silicon Solar carries both monocrystalline and amorphous 12v solar panels. Monocrystalline cells are the most efficient form of solar cells, and thus they are ideal for any uses that require high efficiency output with limited space. Amorphous solar panels have a lower efficiency rating, but are thinner and lighter than their crystalline counterparts, and, most importantly, perform much better in indirect sunlight. Therefore, if your local climate is often cloudy, amorphous panels will work best for you. All of our panels are manufactured with industrial grade aluminum framing and impact resistant glass ensuring decades of weather resistant use.

3) Can I link up these panels to increase the output of my solar system?

Yes. All modules include an attached weatherproof terminal box which allows for easy interconnection with other modules.

A charge controller is a device that is wired between the solar panel and the battery bank. It controls the energy from the solar panels so that the battery bank is not overcharged or charged incorrectly.

Charge Controllers Any well designed solar battery charging system should include a charge protector. Without a charge protector, the batteries may not properly charge, may be damaged, or may experience a reduction in battery life. With few exceptions, one should never connect a solar panel directly to a battery pack without a controller. A solar charge controller is a device that is wired between the solar panel and the battery bank which controls the energy flow from the solar panels to the battery, thus ensuring that the battery is not improperly charged or damaged. Most charge controllers also maintains a ‘float charge’ on a fully charged battery bank to ensure long battery life.

Our 12v consumer-ready flexible solar panels are ready-to-go out of the box solar panels are specifically designed as a portable solar power charger for batteries and many electronic devices, including:

Laptop computers
Cell phones & PDAs
Portable media & mp3 players
Digital cameras
& much, much more
Our 12v consumer-ready flexible solar panels range from 5w all the way up to 62w, which means that we are almost certain to have the right flexible solar panel for your needs.

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